Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0012739 (disseminated intravascular coagulation)
 8,673 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report here a 16-year-old male with primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)-associated probable microangiopathy with multiple bone metastases. Laboratory findings excluded the possibility of amegakaryocytic or immune thrombocytopenia and/or disseminated intravascular coagulation. He was first treated with plasma-exchange (PE), followed by platelet transfusions, steroid pulse therapy and combined chemotherapy. PE and steroid pulse therapy reduced his plasma CRP level. Combined chemotherapy drastically increased his platelet count until it had almost normalized without further transfusion. The plasma level of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease (ADAMTS13) activity measured before PE was not severely deficient (48% of normal) and an unusually large von Willebrand factor multimer (UL-VWFM) was detected. We consider that this therapeutic strategy has the following benefits: (1) reduction of plasma levels of factors that are harmful to both platelet activation and endothelial cell injury; and (2) the safe transfusion of platelet concentrate in thrombotic microangiopathy. This strategy should be confirmed in further cases.
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PMID:Successful treatment of primitive neuroectodermal tumor-associated microangiopathy with multiple bone metastases. 1711 43

Thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs) are characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and organ failure (mostly renal dysfunction). TMA includes thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) with predominant neurological signs and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) with predominant renal dysfunction, but they are often indistinguishable each other with the clinical signs alone. Recent availability of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease or ADAMTS13 activity has defined that TTP is a syndrome frequently associated with a deficient ADAMTS13 activity with or without its inhibitors (autoantibodies), whereas HUS has almost the normal activity. Here, we present two cases of TMA, who were initially diagnosed as "multiple sclerosis" because of the fluctuated neurological signs. Case 1 was a 54-year-old male and case 2 was a 30-year-old female. During their clinical course, they accompanied thrombocytopenia, to which the etiology left undetermined in case 1, but case 2 was suspected DIC because she had such past history. Prophylactic infusion of platelet concentrates to both cases dramatically aggravated their clinical signs. Case 1 was diagnosed to be intravascular lymphoma complicated with acquired TTP, after showing a deficient ADAMTS13 activity. Case 2 was unable to assay ADAMTS13 activity, but later the autopsy revealed the presence of multiple hyaline membrane thrombosis in many organs, together with a lack of demyelinating lesions, solely confirming a diagnosis of TMA.
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PMID:[Thrombotic microangiopathy]. 1743 15